Bald Eagle

Altho less admirable than its Golden relative, the BALD EAGLE is entitled to a square deal. Alaska has passed a law offering a bounty on dead Eagles because fishing interests claim they destroy salmon. Even if true this would be no reason for the extinction of these fine birds. The fish they eat are those which have spawned and are about to die. Eagles should be medaled for removing refuse, not murdered. It is a curious example of crooked thinking that the bird which is our national emblem should be condemned to death for eating a few fish. Alaska has a blotch on her escutcheon that will take much rubbing to clean. Altho Bald Eagles sometimes allow Fish Hawks the privilege of catching a meal for them they usually attend to this necessity themselves. While fish are their favorite food, the bill of fare includes rats, woodchucks, small mammals, some birds — principally wounded waterfowl. Like the Golden Eagle they sometimes capture ducks by hunting in pairs, driving the quarry under water by alternate attacks until the victim is tired out.

From North Carolina to Florida there was seldom a day that I did not see one or more circling in great curves against the sky or perched sedately on a tree near one of the innumerable streams which labyrinth thru this low country. Once I saw dignity forgotten when one shot downward toward its mate and cut a series of fantastic pirouettes around the perched bird. So erratic were these aerial curves that I thought a gigantic Chimney Swift was on the sky stage. It seemed incredible that such a heavy bird could carve such spirals against the blue.